Font Resize
The first time I took my sons cross country skiing, our youngest, then 4, careened down a hill and crashed into a bush, where he lay whimpering on his back with his skis tangled overhead.
But we stuck with it. And now, two years later, at ages 6 and 9, my sons both love to plunge down hills, kamikaze-style. Not graceful to watch. But that will come with time.
We wanted to give our kids a reason to get outside during the winter. Cross country skiing appeals to us because it's a sport they can enjoy for the rest of their lives and it doesn't require a team or expensive equipment. Also, as we discovered, it is one of the best all-around aerobic sports.
With its long, snowy winters and Scandinavian influence, the Twin Cities have produced one of the most active cross country ski communities in the country. Other Nordic skiing styles, including Telemark and ski jumping, also are growing in popularity here. There are several ski shops, dozens of places to rent equipment and hundreds of miles of groomed trails, including ones lit at night.
You can just head out on a trail with your kids. But if you've never skied before, I'd recommend taking lessons. Several parks, including Lebanon Hills Regional Park and Como Park, offer lessons for children.
IN THE BEGINNING
We opted to join the Minnesota Youth Ski League, a volunteer-run group that coordinates ski clubs around the state. This year, 1,000 children are signed up at more than 20 clubs for
"The key is to start (kids) young enough before the fright thing sets in," says volunteer coach Bonnie Weiskopf, a mom and the volunteer coordinator for the club that meets Saturdays at Battle Creek Regional Park in St. Paul.
Weiskopf skied on a college scholarship, and now four of her five children ski. She plans to get her 9-month-old out on skis next year, when he's a toddler.
When they were beginners, our kids stood in a circle on skis and practiced their balance by singing the "Hokey Pokey Song": "You put your right foot in ... put your right foot out ..." They giggled as we made them fall down and get back up again and again. (The trick is to lie on your back and then swing your legs all the way over to one side.)
To practice balance skills, Weiskopf led the kids to the top of a gentle decline and then laid pinecones and sticks in parallel lines down the hill. The kids took turns gliding down the slope, without poles, and stooping to grab the sticks and cones from the ground.
They learned how to climb hills by planting their skis in a "V" formation, the herringbone technique, and they learned to snowplow slowly down steep hills by pointing the tips of their
Once they could manage hills, it got more fun.
"They live for the hills," Weiskopft says of her own kids. "Most kids are not satisfied with cross country skiing on a lake or on a field or anywhere flat. I think that's why cross country skiing has gotten a bad rap. It looks like drudgery.
"I think to get to that next level, where you can actually have fun, you need the skills to go up hills and down hills fast. And you have to be in shape enough so you're not dying out there."
You get in shape quickly with cross country skiing. Because you're pushing with your upper and lower body, you're using more muscles than in any other sport, says Weiskopf.
"As far as demand on your cardiovascular system, it's great," she says.
INTO THE WOODS
Last week, we showed up at Battle Creek for our first meeting of the season along with a dozen other families. (Most of the league's clubs require participants to own skis or meet at parks where families can rent equipment. As a new club, Battle Creek has a limited number of skis available for families to rent for the entire season.)
My sons disappeared down the trail with the intermediate skiers and a couple of high school students who were volunteering to help coach along with the parents. Within minutes, they would be skiing in the woods.
I stayed behind to help 5-year-old twins David and Irene Azcona of Woodbury, who were on skis for the first time. The recent melt and freeze had erased the tracks and turned the groomed trail into an ice slick.
The twins would take a couple of strides and their skis would veer apart until the novices ended on the ground in the splits. They practiced getting up a lot. But they grinned the whole time, and when I checked in with their mom a few days later, she said they were looking forward to the next session.
"They loved it so much," said Sheri Azcona. "They want to practice every day. And I actually found myself hoping for more snow."
Maja Beckstrom can be reached at 651-228-5295.
THE SCOOPWhat: Cross country skiing with kids
Cost: Equipment rentals at most parks range from $6 to $10 for a couple of hours.
Target audience: Kids ages 3 and older and adults
Crowd pleaser: Roller coaster hills
Tip: The first few times you take your kids out, don't overdo it and don't be surprised if your child is done in 15 minutes. Start in groomed tracks. The tracks will help hold your child's skis in place so the tips don't cross while the kids practice kicking and gliding. Dress your child in wool socks and layers.
Where: Minnesota Youth Ski League runs more than 20 cross country ski clubs throughout Minnesota using parent and volunteer coaches. Metro-area clubs meet at Battle Creek Regional Park, Como Park, Theodore Wirth Park, William O'Brien State Park, Wild River State Park, Hyland Lake Park Reserve, French Regional Park, Baker Park Reserve and Cleary Lake Regional Park. The cost is $25 per child for eight sessions ($50 for two children or $60 for three or more children). For more information, contact executive director Amy Cichanowski at 612-724-4071 or check mysl.org.
WHERE TO RENT SKIS
These places rent cross country ski equipment for children and adults. (Purchasing basic equipment for a child can run $160-$180.) Skiers older than 16 can buy a Minnesota State Ski Pass ($5 daily, $15 season) at these locations. The pass is required to ski on state-subsidized trails.
Como Park, 1431 N. Lexington Parkway, St. Paul
Times: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday; closed Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays; 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Cost: $9 children, $12 adults (two hours)
Info: stpaul.gov or 651-488-9673
Elm Creek Park Reserve, 12400 James Deane Parkway, Maple Grove
Times: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
Cost: $6 children, $8 adults (two hours). You can also rent a "pulk" to pull children too young to ski. Plus $4 daily park pass.
Info: threeriversparkdistrict.org or 763-694-7894
Hyland Lake Park Reserve, 10145 Bush Lake Road, Bloomington
Times: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
Cost: $6 children, $8 adults (two hours). You can also rent a "pulk" to pull children too young to ski. Plus $4 daily park pass.
Info: threeriversparkdistrict. org or 763-694-7687
Lebanon Hills Regional Park, 860 Cliff Road, Eagan
Times: Opens 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Last rental goes out at 3:45 p.m.
Cost: Child: $5 per hour, $8 for 3 hours; adult: $7 per hour, $15 for 3 hours
Info: www.co.dakota.mn.us/ LeisureRecreation or 651-554-6530
Tamarack Nature Center; 5287 Otter Lake Road, White Bear Township
Times: Opens 8 a.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday, noon Sunday. Equipment must be returned by 4 p.m.
Cost: $10 age 6 and older, $5 ages 3 to 5 (two hours)
Info: co.ramsey.mn.us/parks/ tamarack or 651-407-5350
REI, 750 W. American Blvd., Bloomington
Cost: $10 a day, $5 each additional day
Info: rei.com. or 952-884-4315
